With a gradual increase in the number of acid attack cases in India, the easy availability of acid in the open market is a questionable matter. The Supreme Court on Sunday urged a response from the Centre on a petition pertaining to open acid sales in India and the suffering that the acid attack victims undergo.

The petition seeks an increase in the compensation amount offered to the victims to Rs 12 lakhs. According to Apex Court’s earlier directions, the minimum compensation offered to the victims amounts to Rs 3 lakh and is too less taking into consideration the loss and disability caused by acid attacks. It also states that the increase in the acid attacks across India and the violation of court’s guidelines to hamper acid sales in open market.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, also came forward to issue a notice to all the states and UTs with an appeal to comply to the guidelines and other laws relating to the victims.

Advocate Anuja Kapur was the one to file the PIL and quoted various attacks on women. “Procedure involved in the release of compensation and medical treatment (to such victims) is very tedious, lengthy and tiresome even after various guidelines and laws for it”, read the PIL. It also stated that owing to a slag in the implementation of the laws and the tediously long time taken in the same the victims underwent a sort of “secondary victimisation” and thus sorted a “one-window operation”. The PIL alleged that the compensation as stated by the Apex court was not even being provided to the victims.

The loss incurred by the acid attack victims can certainly be not compensated with a price but the Centre needs to do its bit and the least that can be done is to offer hassle-free proceedings.